Shoe



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M. E. pucKoFF SHOE Original Filed Feb. 13, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES.

SHOE

Maxwell E. Duckoff, Manchester, N. H., assignor to United. Shoe ough ofFlemington, Jersey Machinery Corporation, Bor- N. J., a corporation ofNewv Original application February 13, 1937, Serial No. 125,635. Dividedand this application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 237,932

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and is hereinillustrated in its application to the manufacture of shoes havinginsoles' with central forepart openings and outsoles with centralforepart projections that are complemental to the insole openings. Thepresent application is a division of my copending application Serial No.125,635, filed February 13, 1937.

The bottoms of shoes of the type above referred to, having no insoles intheir central forepart areas are generally regarded as being moreflexible than the bottoms of shoes having insoles of the conventionalconstruction. However, the excess thickness of the central forepartareas of the outsoles and the double sole structure in the forwardmarginal portions of the bottoms of such shoes are factors whichmilitate against the securing of a maximum amount of iiexbility in theshoes. Moreover, in cases where an insole and an outsole are split froma sole blank of laminated formation the outsole forepart projection andthe insole forepart rand portion may have even more tendency to stiftenthe shoe bottom inasmuch as those portions may consist of two or morelayers which `are bonded together and which for that reason do not bendor flex so readily as if they were each of integral or one pieceformation.

In view of the foregoing it is an object of the present invention tominimize the stifening effect of the outsole projections andthe insolerand portions in shoes of the above-mentioned type and thereby to rendersuch shoes even more flexible than those heretofore manufactured.

With this object in view the invention, as herein illustrated, residesin the combination, in a shoe, of an outsole having an inward centralprojection or island on its forepart, and an insole having a forepartrand portion defining a central forepart opening or aperture withinwhich said projection is received, said outsole having a plurality ofcuts formed in the upper surface of its projection and said insolehaving a plurality of cuts extending across said rand portion wherebythe forepart of the shoe bottom is rendered more flexible. Theillustrated cuts are in the form of V-shaped grooves and they extend indirections erosswise of the shoe so as to reduce the resistance of theshoe bottom -to such bending as isrequired to accommodate the flexingmovements of the foot.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, p-artially in section and partially in elevation,.illustrating the operationY of grooving a laminatedsole blank which issubsequently to be divided into an insole andan outsole;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sole blank after it has beengrooved;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view III- III of Fig. 2;

Fig.y 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the grooved insole and thegrooved outsole produced by means of a splitting operation performedupon the sole blank shown in Fig, 2;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sole blank of solid ornon-laminated formation, the blank being shown as it appears aftervhaving been divided or split but before having been grooved;

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary perspective views of the insole and theoutsole, respectively, which are produced by the performance ofsplitting and grooving operations upon the sole blank shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinalsection, of a shoe embodying the grooved insole and the grooved outsole;and i Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View of the forepart of a shoe whichis similar to that shown in Fig. 8

but in which the outsole island or projection is formed as an integralpart of the sole.

The improved shoe shown in the drawings comprises, as illustrated inFigs 8 and 9 an insole 28, an outsole 30, an upper 54, and a sock lining56. The insole 28 is formed with a central forepart opening 32 definedby a marginal forepart rand portion 34. The outsole 30 is provided witha central forepart projection or island 36 which is complemental to andinterts within the opening 32 in the insole. The insolel 28 and theoutsole 3l)v constitute a so-called complemental insole-outsole`combination which, so far as its complemental features are concerned,-is of a type commonly employed in shoe making for the purpose ofsecuring flexibility in the foreparts of shoe bottoms. Suchinsole-outsole combinations are commonly produced by splitting a soleblank into two parts as, for example, by the use of a matrix roll typesplitting machine, such` as that disclosed in United States/LettersPatent No. 2,053,304, 'granted'September 8, 1936, upon vapplication ofW. D. Thomas. The'sole blank may consist entirely of one material, suchas leather, asindicated in Fig. 5, inwhich case the outsole projectionor island will be formed as an integral part of theoutsole' or the blankmay be taken along the line of laminated formation, as indicated in Fig.3, in which case the outside projection will consist, in whole, or inpart, of material which is not integral with the outsole. The blankshown in Fig. 3 may be split along the line X-X to divide it into aninsole. 2B and an outsole 30, the insole having a central forepartopening 32 and the outsole having a central forepart projection 36. Byreference to Figs. 4 and l it will be seen that the splitting operationwill result in forming a substantially plane surface 40 upon the upperside of the heel and shank portion of the outsole and around the edge ofthe forepart thereof and that the central forepart projection of theoutsole will have a frusto-conical surface comprising a sloping marginalportion 42 and an upper surface 4d which was originally part of theupper surface of the sole blank. By reference to Figs. 4 and 6 it Willbe seen that, as a result of the splitting operation, the insole 26 willbe formed with a plane surface 46 on the lower side of its heel andshank portion and around the edge of its forepart and with a beveledsurface 48 which defines the forepart opening 32 and is complemental tothe sloping portion l2 of the outsole projection.

While it is well known that the use of complemental insole-outsolecombinations of the type above referred to results in securingflexibility in shoe bottoms, nevertheless, it is sometimes desirable tosecure even greater flexibility than that resulting exclusively from theuse of such lcombinations. It is particularly true that the use ofcomplemental insoles and outsoles does not always afford the desiredshoe bottom flexibility in cases where the outsole projection is made ofa separate piece of material and is cemented in place upon the outsole,inasmuch as the laminated structure thus produced in the central forwardportion of the shoe has some tendency at least to stiifen the outsole soas to offset in part the flexibility gained from the intermatingrelationship of the inner and outer soles. Accordingly, in order toprovide for a maximum amount of flexibility in the foreparts of shoebottoms I provide a plurality of cuts in the upper surface of theoutsole projection, the cuts, as shown, extending transversely withrespect to the outsole and being preferably in the form of grooves 5E)which are V-shaped in cross-section, the widest portion of the groovesbeing located at the upper surface of the projection and the groovesbeing of substantial depth but preferably not extending throughout thefull thickness of the projection, at least in cases Where the projectionis formed of material which is not integral with the outsole. I preferalso to provide cuts or grooves in the marginal forepart rand portion ofthe insole, such as the grooves 52 (Figs. 4 and 6), the grooves 52 beingalso preferably V-shaped in cross-section and extending transverselyacross the rand portion of the insole at opposite sides of the centralopening 32. The grooves being open at the upper or foot-facing sides ofthe insole and the outsole, it will be appreciated that they will becapable of closing so as best to facilitate the bending of the bottom ofthe shoe in accommodating itself to the flexing movements of the foot.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the sole blank may be first grooved andlater split or, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the sole yblank may be firstsplit and thereafter grooved. In either ,case the grooves mayadvantageously be formed by means of a series of rotary cutters I6 (Fig.l) which may be mounted in spaced relation on a drivenshaft I8 and whichfunction to make a plurality of parallel grooves in the work as thelatter is fed edgewise across a table or support lll. The cutters I6 areshown in Fig. l as operating upon a sole blank l2 of laminatedIformation comprising a sole-shaped layer 22 of insole material and asoleshaped layer 24 of outsole material which is secured to the layer 22by means of cement. The cutters I6 are constructed and arranged toremove material from the sole blank so as to form in the forepartthereof a series of open grooves (Fig. 2). However, the improvements inshoemaking which involve the making of the grooved insoles and outsolesare not claimed herein, the same being the subject-matter of thecopencling application above refered to.

Whether the grooves are cut before the sole blank is split orthereafter, there will be provided, as a result of the splitting andgrooving operations, an outsole 40 having a series of parallel openAgrooves 56 (Fig. '7) extending transversely across its forepartprojection 35 and an insole 34 having a series of open grooves 52 (Fig.6) extending transversely across its marginal forepart rand portion.Obviously, if the sole blank is grooved first and thereafter split, thegrooves formed in the insole will be disposed in line with the groovesin the outsole when the insole and outsole are arranged in matingrelation as when they are incorporated in a shoe. On the other hand thesole blank may be split before being grooved and the insole and theoutsole produced by the splitting operation maintained in mating orintertting relation While being subjected to the action of the groovingmeans, in which case the grooves in the insole will be accurately alinedwith those in the outsole when the soles are incorporated in a shoe. Inothei` words, the grooves in the forepart of the outsole and thecorresponding grooves in the forepart of the insole will be, in effect,continuations of one another. Thus, the grooves will function mosteffectively to impart a maximum amount of flexibility to the bottom ofthe shoe.

While the grooves in the outsole projection or island are effective toincrease the flexibility of the shoe bottom whether the island isintegral or whether it consists of a separate piece of material and issecured to the outsole by cement, the grooves are particularly effectivein the latter case inasmuch as the grooves, which extend nearly throughthe layer constituting the island, reduce to a minimum the resistance ofthat layer to bending and thus practically offset any stiftening effectwhich may result from the cementing together of the two layers whichconstitute the island and the body portion of the forepart of theoutsole.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a shoe, an insole having a central forepart opening and a forepartmarginal rand portion, and an` outsole having a central forepartprojection complemental to said insole opening, said insole rand portionhaving a plurality of open grooves formed in its foot facing side, eachof said grooves extending from saidv forepart opening to the outer edgeof said rand portion and said outsole projection having a plurality ofopen grooves in its upper surface extending in the same directions asthe grooves in the insole whereby the forepart of the shoe bottom isrendered more flexible.

2. In a shoe, an insole having a central forepart opening and a forepartmarginal rand portion, and an outsole having a central forepartprojection complemental to. said insole'openng, said insole rand portionand said outsole projection each having a plurality of cuts extendingtransversely thereacross, the cuts in said projection being aligned Withcorresponding 'cuts in the rand portion.

3. In a shoe, an insole havingA a central forepart opening and aiorepart marginal rand portio-n, and an outsole having a centralforepart projection complemental to said insole opening, said insolerand portion having a plurality of open grooves extending entirelyacross said.' portion and said outsole number of open grooves formed inthe surface of having a corresponding said projection 'only whereby theflexibility of the forepart of the shoe bottom is increased to the sameextent in its central and marginal portions.

4. A shoe comprisingan insole having a central forepart opening and` amarginal forepart rand portion, said rand portion. having a pluralityof' open grooves extending transversely thereacross, an outsole having acentral forepart projection eomplemental to and intertting within saidinsole opening, said projection having a plurality of open groovesextending transversely thereacross,A said grooves being disposed in linewith said insole grooves, and an upper having a marginal portioninturned between said insole and said outsole. v

MAXWELL E. DUCKOFF.

